In a time period when it seems electronic musical festivals are being recycled over and over, Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit in Asheville, NC proved to shatter the mold. Taking place over October 25, 26, and 27 in downtown Asheville, Mountain Oasis combined some of the most unique and high-profile electronic acts in live music culture with a rich display of electronic music culture. Exhibits, panels and more gave attendees an inside look into the history, structure, creation and ideas behind the music, while at night they were graced to performances by an extremely diverse array of electronic-influenced bands and musicians. With a seamless blend of education, culture and entertainment, Mountain Oasis’s first year was a massive success.

Structure

Mountain Oasis was set up in downtown Asheville, North Carolina- if you’ve never been to Asheville, it’s sometimes called by outsiders as the “Boulder, Colorado of the East Coast”. Asheville is a city rich in artistic culture, and with that being said, was a perfect location for Mountain Oasis. Having a decent size downtown that was big enough to accommodate guests but not too big to get lost in, the festival was perfectly laid out amongst five venues throughout. From the immense ExploreAsheville.com Arena to the small, intimate feels of The Orange Peel and Diana Worsham Theater, the festival appropriately housed musicians of all styles and popularity, with each venue properly staffed and structured for smooth entry and enjoyable experience. Lines were hardly ever an issue, and once inside most venues, food and drink were readily available. Another nice function of most venues was that they had seats- except for The Orange Peel, every venue accommodated those who preferred to enjoy their live music from the comfort of a seat. This especially comes in handy when attendees begin to feel the effects of a music festival on their body after a couple days, as opposed to most camping festivals which forces you to stand or sit on the ground.

Another unique aspect of Mountain Oasis was how well the city came together for the event; instead of backing away (ala Miami and Ultra Music Festival), Asheville welcomed in the festival and it’s attendees, and many businesses offered discounts for those festival-goers visiting for the weekend. This was a very nice sentiment, and many goers took advantage of the opportunities. As I went around the city myself, it didn’t seem at all that anyone was upset over the influx of visitors; rather, most locals welcomed us with open arms . Fellow attendees were even extremely jovial, as everywhere you looked people were connecting and having a good time. As I like to think, there’s just something about being in Asheville that makes you happy, and this was certainly the case during Mountain Oasis.

Entertainment

Despite a connotation with electronic music that most performers are just “DJs” or “using a computer”, Mountain Oasis showcased many electronic musicians that are completely contradictory to this ideal- some names include Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel, Cut Copy, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and more. Of course, the festival included many so-called “EDM” acts as well- Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Disclosure, Pantyraid, Adventure Club, and more were featured. This diverse selection of artists brought an as diverse group of attendees, with people coming from all ages and backgrounds. Every fan of electronic music could find a performance that fit them at any given time.

Some highlights of the weekend included legend Gary Numan’s performance, the first festival set of the Pretty Lights live band, the return of Neutral Milk Hotel, a rare festival performance by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and other huge performances by the likes of Bassnectar, Animal Collective, Cut Copy, Deltron 3030, Purity Ring and more.

Culture

Along with the stellar festival lineup, Mountain Oasis showcased exhibits and panels which gave attendees an inside look into the creation and culture behind electronic music. With showcases of artwork, technology, and panels and interviews with distinguished artists, fans were granted an inside look unmatched by other music festivals.

Some of the most interesting in-depth looks into the music took place at the Diana Worsham Theater, which housed both an interview with electronic music pioneer Gary Numan and an Inventors’ Roundtable discussion, which included Paul Vo (creator of moog guitar & vo-96 acoustic synthesizer), Richard Devine (musician & sound designer), Tony Rolando (founder of Make Noise) and August Worley (inventor of the Paradym, sound healing instrument). The small, intimate setting of the Worsham Theater made both of these events very comfortable and engaging.

Other exciting events throughout the weekend included the Trash Audio Synth Event (a display of electronic music programs and technology), the Sound & Vision Art Show (an art display of both visual and audio mediums), Dr. Bob’s Interactive Sonic Experience (a collection of synth instruments for the public to use and test) and Mixing With Waves (a demonstration of various synth technology). Each of these events provided attendees with unique, fun and interesting ways to spend the weekend, as they were able to further immerse themselves with the music they came to the festival for in the first place.

Atmosphere

Mountain Oasis sported a friendly, well-maintained atmosphere that reverberated throughout the city and through every person who came. Happiness was abound, as goers and locals came together to enjoy three days of great live music and art. Though I do not have factual numbers, I saw no medical transports or arrests. Goers were generally very friendly towards each other; I witnessed nor heard of any fights, and almost all attendees I personally came across were very genial and kind.

Another great aspect that contributed to the atmosphere of the weekend was the fact that it took place just days before Halloween. While I have heard that people in Asheville will just dress up for anything, it was extremely fun to see all the different costumes attendees and locals sported. I even witnessed a parade of costumed bikers throughout the streets of downtown Asheville. This was just another great quality of the event that added to it’s success.

Overall, Mountain Oasis was a huge success and I fully expect to see it again in Asheville next year. A diverse lineup, combined with a incredibly supportive, creative and fun city led to a weekend filled with good vibes and memories that will last a lifetime.

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